Reports: Ravens expect QB Jackson to start for Flacco (hip)

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Reports: Ravens expect QB Jackson to start for Flacco (hip)

On the eve of a pivotal game with major playoff implications, the Baltimore Ravens expect starting quarterback Joe Flacco to be sidelined on Sunday because of an injured hip, a source told ESPN Saturday night.

If the 33-year-old Flacco, listed as doubtful on the Ravens’ Friday injury report, does not play, the team reportedly plans to hand rookie Lamar Jackson his first career start against the Cincinnati Bengals in Baltimore.

A source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Flacco’s hip injury will not require surgery and that the longtime starter would likely also miss next week’s game against Oakland before a likely return.

Flacco didn’t practice all week because of the hip injury, while Jackson returned to practice on Friday after sitting out a day due to illness. Robert Griffin III took all the practice snaps on Thursday.

The quarterback drama comes at a time when the Ravens (4-5) have lost three straight games and four of their last five. The Bengals are 5-4 and defeated the Ravens in Week 2 in Cincinnati.

Jackson, the Ravens’ first-round pick, was removed from the injury report after practicing on Friday. He is 7-of-12 passing for 87 yards and one touchdown and could be in line for his first NFL start.

–Quarterback Nathan Peterman worked out with the Detroit Lions, ESPN’s Field Yates reported.

It was his first workout since being released by the Buffalo Bills on Monday, Yates said. On the season, Peterman appeared in four games, threw seven interceptions and one touchdown pass, compiling an NFL-worst 30.7 passer rating.

Darby suffered a season-ending tear of the ACL in his right knee during last Sunday night’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Bausby played in four games for the Chicago Bears in 2016, but Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints will mark his first time as active for the Eagles.

Philadelphia will also be without cornerback Jalen Mills (foot) against New Orleans, thought cornerback Sidney Jones (hamstring) is expected to play after missing the previous three games.

–The Chicago Bears have activated tight end Adam Shaheen from injured reserve. He will be eligible to play Sunday night when the Bears host NFC North rival Minnesota.

Shaheen, a second-round draft selection in 2017, played in 13 games as a rookie and had 12 receptions for 127 yards and three touchdowns. He sustained an ankle injury in the preseason and hasn’t played in the regular season.

Report: Peterman works out with Lions

Quarterback Nathan

Report: Peterman works out with Lions

Quarterback Nathan Peterman worked out Saturday with the Detroit Lions, ESPN’s Field Yates reported.

It was his first workout since being released by the Buffalo Bills on Monday, Yates said. On the season, Peterman appeared in four games, threw seven interceptions and one touchdown pass, and he also had an NFL-worst 30.7 passer rating.

In eight career games, Peterman, 24, has a completion percentage of 52.3 percent (68-of-130), with three touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Bears activate TE Shaheen from IR

Bears activate TE Shaheen from IR

The Chicago Bears have activated tight end Adam Shaheen from injured reserve.

He will be eligible to play Sunday night when the Bears host NFC North rival Minnesota.

Shaheen, a second-round draft selection in 2017, played in 13 games as a rookie and had 12 receptions for 127 yards and three touchdowns. He sustained an ankle injury in the preseason and hasn’t played in the regular season.

He replaces tight end Dion Sims on the roster. Sims is headed to injured reserve with a concussion.

Eagles place Darby on IR, promote Bausby

Eagles place Darby on IR, promote Bausby

The Philadelphia Eagles placed cornerback Ronald Darby on injured reserve on Saturday and promoted cornerback De’Vante Bausby to the active roster from the practice squad, the team announced.

Darby suffered a season-ending tear of the ACL in his right knee during last Sunday night’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Bausby played in four games for the Chicago Bears in 2016 but Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints will mark his first time as active for the Eagles.

Bausby initially joined the Philadelphia practice squad on Sept. 2, 2017, but was released nine days later. The Eagles again signed him to the practice squad on Nov. 5 and re-signed him for 2018 after the season.

In addition to Darby, Philadelphia will be missing cornerback Jalen Mills (foot) against New Orleans. But cornerback Sidney Jones (hamstring) is expected to play after missing the previous three games.

“It went really well,” McVay said of the surgery. “He called right afterwards and he was in great spirits. I know if anybody is going to attack the rehab process the right way, it’s going to be Cooper Kupp. Fortunately, some of the things when you do get in there, none of the other things that sometimes can delay that rehab process were affected. It was a clean surgery, did a good job repairing that and we expect him to be able to make a good recovery. Looking forward to getting him back.”

In his absence, Josh Reynolds and Nick Williams are expected to see more playing time, as could Pharoh Cooper, for the Rams (9-1).

On the season, Kupp has caught 40 passes for 566 yards and six touchdowns.

Colts G Nelson fined for viral block

Colts G Nelson fined for viral block

Indianapolis Colts rookie guard Quenton Nelson was fined on Friday for a violent block in Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a play that went viral this week on social media.

The NFL fined Nelson $26,739 for lowering his helmet on safety Barry Church, who was decleated by Nelson as he pulled to lead running back Marlon Mack. Nelson said he was surprised by the fine, especially considering it arrived five days after the hit and he wasn’t penalized on the play. He added he doesn’t agree with the fine and he is reportedly appealing it.

The video went viral after the Colts posted it on Twitter with audio of Nelson screaming — which was taken from a different part of the game — playing during the block on Church. The team has since deleted the tweet.

“I saw it got pretty viral on the internet, which was cool,” Nelson told reporters Tuesday. “…Yeah, I wasn’t yelling, not on that play. I don’t know how it got amped up like that.”

The league has thrown very few flags related to its new “lowering the helmet” rule this season, but ESPN reported two weeks ago that approach is by design, and players have been fined after the fact for such hits and given a warning about future violations.

The 6-foot-6 Shaheen has missed the first nine games because of a foot injury. A second-round draft pick from Division II Ashland in 2017, he caught 12 passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie.

Sims (concussion) sat out Chicago’s win over Detroit last weekend.

Chicago announced the moves on Saturday. The NFC North-leading Bears (6-3) host the second-place Minnesota Vikings (5-3-1) on Sunday night.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald has been fined $23,395 by the NFL.

Donald was fined $10,026 for unnecessary roughness and $13,369 for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Donald got into a scuffle on the sideline with Justin Britt in the fourth quarter of the Rams' win over Seattle last Sunday.

NEW YORK (AP) — Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald has been fined $23,395 by the NFL.

Donald was fined $10,026 for unnecessary roughness and $13,369 for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Donald got into a scuffle on the sideline with Justin Britt in the fourth quarter of the Rams’ win over Seattle last Sunday. The first fine was for a facemask against Britt and the second was for his conduct after the game when he put his helmet on as he tried to confront Britt on the field.

Britt was fined $20,054 for unnecessary roughness for his late hit on Donald when he was out of bounds after a whistle.

Two of Donald’s defensive teammates also were fined. Ndamukong Suh was fined $20,054 for his hit on Seattle’s Russell Wilson and Dante Fowler was docked $10,026 for unnecessary roughness.

Also fined was Oakland’s Johnathan Hankins for $20,054 for his hit on the Chargers’ Philip Rivers in the fourth quarter on Sunday. The Chargers’ Adrian Phillips was fined $10,026 for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Panthers safety Eric Reid was fined $10,026 for unnecessary roughness for his hit on Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Reid was ejected for his hit in the third quarter of the Steelers’ win. Reid’s teammate, Vernon Butler, was also fined $10,026 for unnecessary roughness.

NFL notebook: Flacco doubtful vs. Bengals

NFL notebook: Flacco doubtful vs. Bengals

Joe Flacco was listed as doubtful on Friday’s injury report as the Baltimore Ravens’ quarterback mystery continues, two days prior to Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Flacco didn’t practice all week because of a hip injury, while rookie Lamar Jackson returned to practice on Friday after sitting out a day due to illness. Robert Griffin III took all the practice snaps on Thursday.

“There will be a quarterback starting. I can guarantee that,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh told reporters, partly in jest. “And, every play, there will be at least one quarterback on the field.”

Graham had the thumb examined on Friday to determine the extent of his injury. The 31-year-old left Thursday’s 27-24 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the second half after making one catch for 13 yards.

The Packers haven’t confirmed the injury or released a timetable for his return.

–Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa is expected to be a game-day decision on Sunday against the Denver Broncos.

Bosa, who has missed the entire season with a foot injury, was listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report. He returned to practice on Wednesday for the first time since training camp.

Tight end Antonio Gates (knee) also is listed as questionable. Cornerback Trevor Williams (knee) will miss the game.

–Denver Broncos left guard Max Garcia will miss the rest of the season after tearing his ACL in Thursday’s practice, head coach Vance Joseph confirmed.

Garcia didn’t miss a rep Thursday, but he was taken for an MRI after feeling discomfort in the knee afterward.

“It was really weird,” Joseph said. “I watched practice from the last play back to the first play, and he didn’t miss a down. The play he was injured on, I saw it. It was kind of a slip. It was no big deal.”

Kendricks, 28, will practice next week but cannot play until Dec. 10 against Minnesota.

As a result of his guilty plea to federal insider trading changes, the league suspended Kendricks for eight games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced Jan. 24.

–Philadelphia defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan could play for the first time this season on Sunday when the Eagles take on the New Orleans Saints.

“Still optimistic, we’ve got to get through today and tomorrow obviously with him and see where he’s at,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said. “It’s just a matter of day-by-day and getting through the practice and seeing where he’s at.”

Jernigan returned to practice last week for the first time since having surgery in April to repair a herniated disc in his back.

–Atlanta Falcons linebacker Deion Jones (foot) will not play Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, despite being activated from injured reserve earlier this week.

Head coach Dan Quinn said Jones, who hasn’t played since Week 1, is close but not yet ready to play. Kicker Matt Bryant (hamstring) will play for the first time since Week 6.

–The Detroit Lions will be without wideout Marvin Jones (knee) and tight end Michael Roberts (shoulder) against the Carolina Panthers.

Jones did not practice this week after sustaining a bone bruise in his knee on Sunday. Cornerback Darius Slay (knee) is expected to play.

–Washington Redskins left tackle Trent Williams is questionable to face the Houston Texans as he recovers from surgery to repair a dislocated thumb.

Also questionable is kicker Dustin Hopkins (groin). Running back Chris Thompson (ribs) and wideout Jamison Crowder (ankle) remain out after not practicing all week.

–The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without linebacker Lavonte David (knee), defensive end Vinny Curry (ankle), running back Ronald Jones (hamstring) and defensive backs Justin Evans (toe) and M.J. Stewart (foot) against the New York Giants.

Curry and Jones practiced on a limited basis Thursday and Friday, while none of the others practiced this week.

–The Cincinnati Bengals placed tight end Tyler Kroft on injured reserve and signed linebacker Brandon Bell off the practice squad.

Kroft, who has four catches for 36 yards in five games (two starts) this year, hasn’t played since hurting his foot in Week 5. Cincinnati is already without Tyler Eifert for the season.

Packers' McCarthy discusses job status with Packers struggling

Packers’ McCarthy discusses job status with Packers struggling

One day after the Green Bay Packers lost a crucial road game to the Seattle Seahawks to fall under .500 with just six games left in the regular season, head coach Mike McCarthy was forced to publicly address his job security.

McCarthy faced the local media Friday on the heels of the Packers dropping to 4-5-1 by losing 27-24 at Seattle, hurting Green Bay’s playoff hopes in a competitive NFC.

McCarthy, who turned 55 last week, is in his 13th season leading the Packers’ sideline. During his tenure, Green Bay has made the playoffs nine times and won a Super Bowl. But McCarthy’s Packers have never missed the postseason two years in a row, something that could happen unless the team immediately gets hot.

For McCarthy, tied with New Orleans’ Sean Payton as the longest-tenured head coaches in the conference, facing late-season questions about his employment status is new territory.

“That’s the job,” McCarthy told reporters. “That’s the way this business has gone. I’m not going to get into comparables, but at the end of the day that’s part of the job responsibility of the head coach.

“We set a standard here the past 12 years, and it’s our responsibility to play to that standard. That’s the way we approach it, but that’s a blanket, general evaluation. There’s obviously more that goes into that. But at the end of the day, there’s so much that goes into each and every game throughout a seven-day period — obviously we’re on a 10-day stretch here — and that’s really where the energy has to focus.”

Green Bay is 0-5 on the road this season and must next take on their NFC North rival Minnesota Vikings next Sunday — again away from Lambeau Field. If the Packers lose in Week 12, the noise will get louder.

“I don’t think you can tune it out. That’s the old days. That’s when you had newspapers,” McCarthy said of hearing surrounding speculation on whether his job may be in jeopardy. “But I think today’s world, everything is accessible, everything is instant. I’m sure they’re all aware. I think the bigger challenge is when you’re having a lot of success.

“I think negativity is an unfortunate part of this business driven by the externals, but that’s the business we’re in.”

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — This was a respite for the Los Angeles Rams but certainly no vacation.

The team kept its plans to train at the Air Force Academy and stay at the posh Broadmoor Hotel in the Rocky Mountain foothills even after the NFL moved their Monday night showdown with the

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — This was a respite for the Los Angeles Rams but certainly no vacation.

The team kept its plans to train at the Air Force Academy and stay at the posh Broadmoor Hotel in the Rocky Mountain foothills even after the NFL moved their Monday night showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs to the Los Angeles Coliseum because of a frayed football field at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium.

The primary benefit shifted from altitude acclimation to getting away from the wildfires back home and doing some midseason team bonding.

“It’s been a little bit wild for sure, but with that being said, there’s a lot more people dealing with a lot worse than what we’re dealing with right now,” quarterback Jared Goff said. “We’re the lucky ones and we’re having a good time out here in Colorado.”

The deadly wildfires that are surrounding the Rams’ training complex back home affected some players and coaches directly and some indirectly.

“I personally wasn’t affected, but I look at my teammates as family,” Ndamukong Suh said. “So, we all have to deal with it in some form or fashion.”

The trip to Colorado also allowed the Rams (9-1) to do some midseason bonding, something tight end Rob Gronkowski said helped the Patriots refocus down the stretch last season after they spent a week at the academy ahead of their game against the Raiders in Mexico City.

Rams coach Sean McVay said he reached out to Patriots coach Bill Belichick for some tips about how they handled the week away in the Rocky Mountains.

“Anybody like a Bill Belichick, if they’re able to give you a perspective, it’d be silly not to listen and try to apply it,” McVay said.

The Rams will fly home Saturday after what was actually a business trip.

“The Broadmoor’s great. I haven’t played any golf,” defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said. “I’ve got a lot of friends here, but I haven’t really seen anybody because we’ve been working. It’s a work trip … we’re getting ready to play a game.”

McVay said training in Colorado won’t be a waste even though the game now will be played at sea level.

“With all the things going on right now, I think there’s some guys that, at the time, wouldn’t have been able to get back into their houses,” McVay said. “There’s a lot of things that we were doing here. One of them was, obviously, to get ready for playing in the elevation and different things like that. It does still serve you well to train in these environments.

“So, it’ll help us out. Then really, we looked at it as another chance to kind of get away before the bye week, continue to connect as a team where there’s not any real distractions.”

That bonding may be the ultimate benefit of their brief trip.

“If anything, the last week has really made you appreciate the perspective that this gives you,” McVay said. “What’s so special about football is the brotherhood that you share with the teammates, the coaches, the rapport and just the camaraderie. There’s nothing like it.

“To be able to go through some of these things, to also know that when you’re going through real life adversity outside of football, that you have a support system, you have people that care about you unconditionally — that’s what’s real.”

McVay said he took in the picturesque mountains, the fresh air and the amenities of the Broadmoor, but “I really haven’t had a chance to get out and explore. We’re in the midst of game planning and things like that, but I know our players have enjoyed it.

“They got a chance to go to the Nuggets-Rockets game the other night. I think it’s been a great getaway for the team to be together and kind of bond.”

Notes: WR Cooper Kupp underwent knee surgery this week. “It went really well,” McVay said. “He called right afterward and he was in great spirits and I know if anybody’s going to attack the rehab process the right way it’s going to be Cooper Kupp.”

Suspended Kendricks rejoins Seahawks

Kendricks, 28, will practice next week but cannot play until Dec. 10 against Minnesota.

As a result of his guilty plea to federal insider trading changes, the league suspended Kendricks for eight games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Kendricks went to training camp with the Cleveland Browns but was released after the team learned he had been accused of illegally profiting more than $1.2 million through insider training. The Seahawks later picked him up, and in three games with Seattle before his suspension, he made 15 tackles to go with two sacks and a pass breakup.

Broncos OL Garcia (ACL) out for season

Broncos OL Garcia (ACL) out for season

Denver Broncos left guard Max Garcia will miss the rest of the season after tearing his ACL in Thursday’s practice, head coach Vance Joseph confirmed Friday.

Garcia didn’t miss a rep Thursday, but was taken for an MRI after feeling discomfort in the knee afterward.

“It was really weird,” Joseph said. “I watched practice from the last play back to the first play, and he didn’t miss a down. The play he was injured on, I saw it. It was kind of a slip. It was no big deal.”

Garcia was already filling in for starter Ron Leary, who was lost for the season in October with an Achilles injury.

Center Matt Paradis is also out for the year with a broken leg, leaving the Broncos thin along the offensive line.

Billy Turner figures to replace Garcia at left guard, as Elijah Wilkinson steps in at right guard with Connor McGovern moving to center.

Linebacker Brandon Marshall missed Friday’s practice with a knee injury and was ruled out for Sunday’s game at the Los Angeles Chargers. Safety Dymonte Thomas (ankle) is the only other Bronco ruled out, with running back Royce Freeman, wideout DaeSean Hamilton, cornerback Bradley Roby and safety Darian Stewart expected to return.

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Bengals are leaving a slight possibility that receiver A.J. Green could play Sunday at Baltimore even though he hasn't practiced the last two weeks because of a toe injury.

Green initially was listed Friday as out for the game, as anticipated. Cincinnati later did an about-face and listed him

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Bengals are leaving a slight possibility that receiver A.J. Green could play Sunday at Baltimore even though he hasn’t practiced the last two weeks because of a toe injury.

Green initially was listed Friday as out for the game, as anticipated. Cincinnati later did an about-face and listed him as doubtful, giving him a slight chance to play. The offense struggled without him during a 51-14 loss to the Saints last week.

The Bengals (5-4) need a win against the Ravens (4-5) to stay in the playoff chase.

Cincinnati ruled out linebacker Preston Brown with an injured right knee. Linebacker Brandon Bell was signed off the practice squad, and tight end Tyler Kroft went on injured reserve with a foot injury.

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ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Raiders practiced at an off-site facility for a second consecutive day Friday as thick smoke from California's deadly wildfires blanketed the Bay Area.

Much like they did a year ago when similar conditions arose due to fires in Northern California, players and coaches were bused to an

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Raiders practiced at an off-site facility for a second consecutive day Friday as thick smoke from California’s deadly wildfires blanketed the Bay Area.

Much like they did a year ago when similar conditions arose due to fires in Northern California, players and coaches were bused to an indoor gym at the former Alameda Naval Air Station for practices Thursday and Friday.

Although the Raiders were forced to scale back their workouts as a result, coach Jon Gruden was mostly pleased with how things went under the circumstances.

“It’s like an indoor ice rink that was transformed into a soccer field,” Gruden said. “We didn’t have much room to get the splits and get the routes but I’m not going to make any excuses. We’re not the only people dealing with adversity right now. It was either that or get nothing so I’m really pleased with the players, the coaches and the preparation that we were able to get in.”

Smoke has filled the sky in Northern California for more than a week and the air quality has been at dangerously unhealthy levels in recent days.

The Raiders will get a break from the conditions with road games each of the next two weeks. They play Sunday in Arizona and are in Baltimore to face the Ravens on Nov. 25.

“We have to deal with what we have to deal with,” Gruden said. “We got a lot of reps in. We are confident that they know what to do. We just have to trust that they’ll go out there and perform at the highest level possible.”

The Raiders have lost five straight games and are 1-8 overall. Offensive coordinator Greg Olson said that the fires have helped keep things in perspective.

“Our hearts go out to all the people who lost lives and property, and certainly to all the first responders.” Olson said. “For us, yeah, we are missing a practice. We are missing the ability to go outside, but for other people it’s changing their lives or has changed their lives. Nobody here on this team has lost lives or property, so we are fortunate in that regard.”

Right guard Gabe Jackson has tried to remain indoors as much as possible to avoid the smoke-filled air.

“From being here to going home I haven’t spent much time outside,” Jackson said. “You’re always concerned about what’s going on around you, especially the people that’s affected, but at the same time you have to do what you have to do.”

Notes: Wide receivers Jordy Nelson (knee) and Martavis Bryant (knee) did not practice and are out for Sunday’s game. . Cornerback Gareon Conley (groin) is questionable.